THK  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  t,  1895. 
232 
L iloing  well  and  ha?;  more  than  enough  to  keep 
it  going,  and  it  saves  1{200  a monlli ; wire 
shoots  in  the  Central  and  T^va  jirovinccs  are  also 
«aui  to  save  much  labour. 
_ There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  important  bear- 
ing  that  a great  deal  in  Mr.  Bronrds  Report 
has  on  the  development  and  prosperity  of  the 
Opart  from  the  “Reserved”  and  “ pro- 
posed-Reserved  ” Forests  already  referred  to,  tlie 
Conservator  calculates  tliere  are  2,404,490  acres 
of  other  Crown  Forests  in  the  Colony.  Of  forest 
plantations  at  the  end  of  1894  tliere  were  .al- 
together 1,712  acres;  while  22  miles  of  roads  and 
paths  load  been  made  by  the  Department.  The 
total  of  trees  felled  during  1^94  of  all  kinds  w.as 
28,609  ; while  between  R6,000  and  R7,000  of  forest 
produce  w.as  granted  free  of  charge  for  various 
imrposes.  Finally,  we  ought  perhaps  to  notice 
the  fact  that  against  the  R72,OO0  of  delicit  on  the 
yeai'’s  working,  a “summary  of  outstandings 
due  to  the  Department  ” at  the  close  of  last 
year,  gives  a total  of  R62,586. 
FOREST  SETTLEMENTS. 
The  following  areas  were  finally  proclaimed  to  be 
reserved  forests  during  the  year  : — 
N.-W.  PnoviNCE — Baddegamnwa  forest,  area  619 
acres  ; Nariagama  forest,  615  acres. 
Sabaragamuwa — Yalpana  forest,  area  55  acres. 
Grand  Total  1,289  acres. 
In  the  case  of  the  last  named  forest  223  acres 
were  taken  up,  but  the  area  of  forest  secured  to 
the  Crown  was  only  55  acres. 
It  oaniot  be  said  that  two  square  miles  of  re- 
served forest  obtained  as  the  result  of  forest  settle- 
ments for  a whole  year  is  a brilliant  record.  It  is 
partly  accounted  for  by  the  complicated  nature  of 
the  settlements  undertaken  in  Sabaragamuwa,  and 
])artly  to  the  fact  that  certain  areas  await  comple- 
tion of  boundary  surveys  by  the  Survey  Department 
before  tlie  final  Proclamation  is  published. 
A reference  to  form  1 in  the  appendix  will 
show  that  the  total  area  of  reserved  forests  was 
51,361  acres,  or  80'25  square  miles,  on  31st  Decem- 
ber, whereas  it  h ad  been  reported  to  be  52,144 
acres,  or  81‘47  squarcimiles,  on  the  31st  December  of  the 
receding  year.  In  paiagraph-  (i  of  my  last  report 
pointed  out  that  many  of  the  so-called  forest 
reserves  in  Sabaragamuwa  contain  large  areas 
which  are  useless  for  forest  pui'iioses.  The  work  of 
expurgation  of  such  areai  has  been  begun,  and  1,203 
acres,  chiefly  in  Dambarabotuwa,  have  been  excluded 
from  the  reserves.  If  all  the  areas  wduch  should 
be  so  excluded  were  taken  out  now,  I fear  that  the 
area  of  the  true  forest  loft  as  forest  reserves  would 
be  very  considerably  diminished. 
There  are  lt;2,352  acres,  or  253  67  square  miles, 
which  have  been  taken  up  to  be  reserved,  some  of 
which  await,  and  have  for  some  years  past  heen 
awaiting,  final  Proclamation  ; otliers,  inquiry  regard- 
ing which  is  now  in  [inogress,  and  otliers  again  in  re- 
gard tovvhicb  the  preliminary  notification  bos  appeared 
in  the  daztile,  but  a settlement  of  which  has  not  gone 
thioiigh  the  first  stage.  Of  those  regarding  which 
the  final  report  of  the  Settlement  Officer  has  been 
sent,  I have  mentioned  sjmo  in  paragraph  6 aliove 
others,  such  .as  the  P.arawa  and  Mettirigalla  forests 
and  others,  mentioned  in  paragra[)'i  9 of  my  last  re- 
jiort,  have  been  kept  unreserved,  a.s  in  the  opinionof  the 
Government  Agent,  it  was  desirable  to  acquire  cer- 
tain lands  and  to  include  them  into  the  reserve. 
The  fieih  areas  g.izctted  for  settlement  during  the 
year  are  the  following  : — 
WESTEUN  PROVINCE.  Acres. 
Fuel  reserves  . . . . . . 1,969 
CENTRAI.  PROVINCE. 
Kelani  Valley  I’eservc  (alioiit)  ..  8,0,9) 
NORTH- WESTERN  PROVINCE. 
Moragalla  forest  ..  ..  02 
kABAIlAOAMrWA  PROVINCE. 
Acres. 
Gilimale  (second  settlement) 
17,760 
Kitulgalla  . . 
660 
Eratne 
10,173 
Godaganipola  . . 
377 
Mahawettekanda,  d’C. 
2,121 
Y’atipana 
55 
U d akarandapan a 
206 
Kelani  Valley  (about) 
28,155 
Dehipahala 
1,558 
Badahelgoda  .. 
910 
61,975 
Total  ..  71,996 
or  112‘49  square  miles.  All  this  area  is  not  forest 
proper ; over  half  will  most  likely  turn  out  to  be 
private  land  or  chena  land  unsuitable  for  forest 
conservancy. 
The  third  portion  of  form  No.  1 in  the  ap- 
pendix shows  that  there  are  estimated  to  bo 
another  3,900  square  miles  of  forest,  regarding 
which  no  settlements  have  as  yet  been  attempted. 
The  estimate  is,  on  account  of  the  very  imperfect 
surveys  in  our  possession,  only  a very  rough  one, 
but  even  if  the  estimate  were  considerably  reduced 
it  would,  at  the  rate  at  which  settlements  now 
progress,  take  very  many  years  to  make  set  le- 
ments  for  the  whole  forest  area.  There  are  other 
Provinces  besides  Sabaragamuwa  which  are  in  urgent 
need  of  settlement,  and  I should  much  like  to 
see  a beginning  made  in  the  larger  forest  tracts  of 
the  dry  zone  which  produce  our  most  valuable 
timbers. 
WORKING  PLANS. 
Fellings  were  carried  on  in  compartment  5 of  Conical 
Hill  forest  near  Nanuoya,  stripes  Nos.  1,  3,  5,  7,  9, 
11,  and  13  being  cut  over.  The  yield  has  heen  greatei' 
than  that  calculated  by  the  \Vorking  i’lan  Officer, 
2,836  cubic  yai’ds  of  firewood  being  obtained,  and  the 
estimate  being  only  LSlOcubic  yards.  As  the  estimate 
has  usually  heen  rather  under  than  ovci'  the  actual 
yield,  this  surplus  conies  as  a pleasant  surprisf*. 
Compartment  5 is  one  of  the  richest  in  the  forest, 
the  yield  per  acre  having  proved  to  be  235J  cubic 
yards  per  acre. 
Four  strips  cut  over  in  189.3  in  compartment  No.  1 
were  planted  with  Eticali/i/tm  rohwxta  and  Acncia 
decnrrenn,  and  four  strips  planted  in  1893  were  supplied 
during  the  south-west  monsoon. 
Sufficient  experience  has  now,  I think,  been  gained 
by  our  staff  to  try  and  work  the  forest  on  a more 
natural  system.  The  cost  of  I'eplanting  after  clearing 
absorbs  a large  portion  of  the  revenue  obtained, 
especially  as  the  young  plants  suffer  much  from  the 
inroads  of  animals,  and  I have  instructed  the  Fores- 
ter to  limit  his  future  fellings  in  the  strips  to  the 
t, iking  out  "f  suppressed  trees  and  trees  on  the 
decline.  This  will  liave  more  than  one  advantage, 
for  it  will  be  possinle  to  come  hack  much  earlier  to 
file  adjoining  strips  which  have  now  to  be  left 
nnloncbed  niiLil  the  giowtii  011  the  cleai'ed  stiips 
lias  attained  sufficient  strength  t.i  resist  exposure. 
Tbeco.st  of  plaining  will  be  almost  entirely  done  away 
with,  and  the  character  of  the  forest  will  remain 
niielianged.  Near  a health  resort  like  Niiwara  Eliya 
it  is  a pity  to  see  tliefore.st  of  indigenous  trees  give 
place  to  the  more  monotonous  Anslralian  trees. 
Mr.  Hansard  was  engaged  until  October  in  making 
rough  surveys  of  the  Crown  linds  in  the  .lafl'iia 
district  bea-ing  palmirah,  and  of  laiils  snitsble  for 
planting.  He  lias  submitted  a r.'iim c.oiiLaiiniig  bis 
propo.sals  for  future  operations,  but  it  lias  not  yei 
been  s ibmitted  to  Government  owing  to  m ,•  having 
referred  it  b.ick  for  some  further  dat  1.  His  inquiries 
on  the  spot  sliow  that  many  areas  arc  claimo.l  on 
apparently  very  poor  titles,  and  that  at  the  rale  at 
w.iich  palmirah  is  now  being  exported  to  India  there 
will  so  m bo  none  left.  The  only  w.iy  to  make  up 
for  tlie  improvidence  of  the  people  is  for  G.ivcrn- 
mont  to  make  extensive  pi  lutations,  which  will  not 
only  provide  fruit  after  15  or  20  years,  but  which 
after  80  years  will  supply  timber. 
